On the 14th of October, the very day on which the clearing work in the Hambach Forest was to begin, RWE organizes “Innogy Marathon” on behalf of its subsidiary Innogy on Lake Baldeney. A 17.2 km long route leads around the waters in Essen, the city in which RWE has its headquarters. Around the lake grows a beautiful open forest. Therefore, we decided after several weeks of intensive training in the Im-Wald-und-Wiese-in-Kreis-Laufens in this marathon with several groups in different disciplines to register.
We have come up with funny actions in and around the marathon to undermine this advertising and sportsmanship of the Innogy / RWE climate gangsters. more…

Read also Greetings from the Friedensstrasse in Manheim
Two weeks ago humans were chased from their homes in Hambach Forest. Whilst the main public focus was on the protests in the forest, already for years people have been forced out of the surrounding villages. And so also in Manheim.
Rather than only concerning local inhabitants, coal mining in the Rhineland is also a global problem. more…

On Monday 15th October at 5pm, the forest will hold a ceremony to celebrate and remember Waka, our friend and comrade martyred last week in the revolutionary struggle in Kurdistan. We will meet at Jesus Point (in the forest) and then move to a different spot to have the memorial. more…

This Sunday we are calling for decentralized actions in solidarity with the Hambach Forest!
Here are some actions that are taking place today. We are looking forward to joining.Berlin, in front of the parliament:more…

As you’ve probably heard, we’re in quite a mess right now. Among other things, the police just regularly does not let people into the forest or to the lawn. But that does NOT stop us from hosting our bi-annual Skillshare Camp.

Events and concerts will take place this year at the “Save the Forest – Protect the Climate – Camp”, also known as the “Hambi-Camp-Manheim”. There are also sleeping places available. A big thank you from us to this camp! Solidarity is a Weapon!Mapsmore…

After the terrible accident that occurred during the evictions, commemorative events took place in different places.
From various sources (especially social media, e-mail) we know about these events and many more:

20:19 Current status Kleingartenverein: Last machines are withdrawing. All tree house remains are removed. One tree house is still standing with several people and sporadic people on trusses / trees. Police with a floodlight installation and about 50 cops on site.19:50 Police announce that they will be closing time for today in KGV.19:29 In Kleingartenverein still eviction with floodlight in progress.18:57 The blocked trains run again since about 5:30 pm. Eleven activists were detained. People are already waiting for them and others in front of the GeSa Aachen. Overall, the coal trains were blocked for about 8 hours.18:43 In Kleingartenverein now 2 lifting platforms. After Dialektik now also Jelka vacated, accompanied by accordion music and vocals. In Rentnerglück (pensioner’s luck), the sunset is enjoyed in spite of everything.18:43 Cops retire behind the safe barrier tape. Cheers from the occupation in Lorien. more…

Today the eviction of the occupation in the 12,000 Hambach forest continued.
In the northernmost occupation, fittingly named “The North”, police brutally destroyed the homes of the climate-justice activists, which had locked themselves on in order to delay the demolition of the treehouse occupation.
As the day passed, the police ended up “successfully” evicting all of “The North”, including the treehouses Fabacea and Kontiki, and leaving the pieces of the treehouses spread all across the forest floor.

Meanwhile, the police kept working on destroying the Oaktown occupation, bringing down the treehouse Tanit, and beginning the eviction of the common-space of the occupation, the 3-floored Tower.
Besides these, the groundstructure Simona, on which the police have already worked for two days, was taken apart, despite the underground tunnelsystem, in which two people were still locked on.
The tunnel was one of the bigger stories of the day, as the police, despite trying very hard, were still not able to evict the activists from their 10 meter deep chamber.

Throughout the day, the police actively kept national as well as international press at a distance, in order to make it harder for the journalists to give a proper picture of the brutal destruction, and give the activists a voice. Despite this, journalists were able to spread information on the process of the largest police-action in the history of NRW.

Already early in the morning, news about an apparent solidarity action at the Niederaußem coal-power-plant reached us. Here activists erected a tripod, with the banner saying “Hambi bleibt!” (Hambi stays!), and locked on to a conveyor-belt transporting lignite, as well as occupying 3 diggers. This successfully led to the power-plant being brought down to around 20% of its normal capacity.
In and around the occupation, solidarity was also clear to be seen.

Here the action-group Aktion Unterholz arrived with several hundred motivated people, some breaking police-lines and entering the forest, shouting political slogans in support of the occupation, which could be heard by people in the trees, enduring the siege of the police. The action of Aktion Unterholz made a statement against the absurd police-presence, with reference to the city of Chemnitz, where police weeks ago weren’t able to handle extreme-right protesters hunting down immigrants. “Where were you in Chemnitz?!”

Following the example of the last days of eviction, the violent repression directed towards the climate-justice activists was strong.
During the action of Aktion Unterholz, police-officers brutally beat and arrested people, harassed journalists, and even used pepper-spray against demonstrators.
It is estimated that around 30 people were brought to the pre-charge detention centre in Aachen, were supporters outside were awaiting their release, with music, coffee and cake.
Most people brought into the pre-charge detention centre are released within 24 hours.
However, in connection to the eviction of a tripod in the occupied Hambach forest on September 13th, one person was brought into custody jail, for an undefined amount of time. Read more about Andrea (“UP3”) on the blog of ABC Rhineland (https://abcrhineland.blackblogs.org/).
Responsible for the continued violence against activists, journalists and nature, is interior-minister of NRW Herbert Reul (CDU). Despite the wide environmental movement, and the German plans for coal phase-out, Herbert Reul continues to protect the interests of RWE and the coal-lobby with the weapons of the state!

The struggle here continues, and is stronger every day. Although the situation here is tough, we are looking forward to experience individual and collective action of support and solidarity in NRW, Germany, Europe, and all over the world!
Hambi stays, today and forever!